La Fausse Livre d'or

One of the top 5 Greek films ever. A story in four parts, a counterfeit sovereign being the protagonist that links all of them. The concept is simple but the way it is carried out is unique. A rare case of skillful directing resting upon great performances by 'real' (i.e. trained in theatre) actors.

The concept behind the story is what life is about. A brilliant cast, a great director and a marvelous scenario. The scene, at the end of the movie, when D.Horn says to E.Lambeti that dispite their love, the coin was counterfeit, is one if the top five emotional scenes I ever seen. In the movie, there is a narrator, who connects these 4 stories and closes the film with the phrase...."in this story, the coin is not fake, actually, money is fake...."

I wouldn't call it a film. It actually is a masterpiece. Released in 1955, but still reflects how deceptive our modern society really is. Kalpiki Lira (The Counterfeit Coin) is the first modular movie ever made in Greece. It consists of 4 stories with one thing in common. The counterfeit coin itself. From the creation to its journey among numerous owners. Is the coin fake, or is material wealth itself?

I kalpiki lira is a historical moment for Greek cinema, as it is the first instance of a modular movie, four stories in one, connected by a counterfeit coin. And this coin isn't the only fake thing the main characters invest in, as each of them commits a sin (Anargyros-lust, Beggar-sloth, Vasilis-greed, Pavlos-pride) and gets to face the consequences.

Apart from the intriguing storylines, the biggest strength of the movie is that it captures the essence of life in'50s Athens, especially the bittersweet realism, as drama, humour, romance all blend together and that's in no small part thanks to the excellent performances of the all-star cast.

I Kalpiki Lira is the greatest Greek film ever made. In other words, there is no other more complete Greek cinematic creation in the years that followed it and certainly there's not going to be another better in the years to come. The story takes us on a very weird journey. That of a counterfeit gold coin. It begins from the moment of its creation by a naive man (Vasilis Logothetidis) who, carried away by his passion and love for an unworthy woman (Ilia Livykou) decides to change his life and takes us through the streets and neighborhoods of Athens in the fifties with its everyday troubles and cares but also with its small moments of happiness, introducing us in the way to dozens of different people, from small girls to lovers who are struggling to survive (Dimitris Horn & Ellie Lambeti) and blind beggars (Mimis Fotopoulos in his most remembered role) ending in an unexpected way and filling us with the knowledge that nothing lasts forever. Only a poor counterfeit coin...